Once in a while just go for it, hell for leather

Enthusiasm for the Olympics has its critics. Someone wrote to me last week describing the whole thing as a disappointment, while complaining that there were so many empty seats. This reminded me of Woody Allen’s joke about the two Jewish women and the restaurant. “The food here is terrible,” says one. “Yes,” says the other, “and such small portions.”

One argument, however, I feel I have to take seriously. It goes, roughly, like this. It’s fun and all that, but we’ve spent billions of pounds and as many hours so that some people can run around in circles for a fortnight.

I’ve thought a little about how to respond to this and I feel the best way is by telling you about my one sporting…